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                                                                   Just Thinking                                                                      16"x12"                                                                        Pastel Needed to do a dog for the DPW weekly challenge.  And after The Bond I was ready for something fun and quick, so of course, out came the pastels.   This is on black Artagain paper.  This paper doesn't hold many layers so you have to be pretty direct and just get your colors down. I am not sure, but think this pup is Bernese.  His name is Hobie and I really loved his distinct and kind of bold markings as well as the eyes and their expression.  Not sure exactly what his expression says, but I thought he looked like he was thinking pretty hard. Thanks for stopping by and hope you are having a great Friday.

                                                                       The Bond                                                                           20"x15                                                                          Acrylic Well it is finally finished and I am pretty happy with the results.  It has taken time, guess this is close to two weeks of work with just a couple of day off.   Thanks again to Susan Freeman for such a wonderful photo.  I did simplify it a bit with the background and hat, but I think it just adds to the focus.  Tried to utilize the the rule of thirds and think it was successful.   The picture doesn't quite do the actual color justice, overall it is richer. However I am not sure that I really used anyone's technique but a compilation of what felt right at the time.  I really tried to do the technique, but I think I just reverted to whatever gave me the effect I was looking for. And talk about successful I think the arm addit

Well it is so darn hot here, and we are getting no rain, ground is like concrete and the lawn and garden are struggling.  Got to say that I am looking forward to the end of summer and cooler temps.    Matter of fact sweats are sounding pretty good right now.  But it is inspiration to stay in and work on projects. Pretty much have gotten this mostly blocked in.  Will have to spend some time looking for an arm that will fit in the right-hand side as it doesn't exist in the reference photo. Not sure but I think I may have figured out the honey-brown color, just had to break down and put yellow ochre on my palette.  I know you are supposed to be able to mix this stuff but I think there are just some colors I use all the time and will just automatically add them, like burnt sienna, yellow ochre. Thanks much for stopping by to check on this journey.

Well I didn't start out thinking this would be a work in progress but have decided to go that way.  I saw this photo reference by Susan Freeman on PMP, and absolutely fell in love with the emotion of the piece.  The communication here is just special. I am back working in acrylic, using some but not all interactive, on this piece.  I don't know why but am kind of going about it by working small areas at a time to pretty much completion.  This definitely is not what is usually recommended - most say to work the entire painting from rough in to finishing. I am having a problem trying to mix that honey tone of the lighter areas an not make the sheen too white.  I think I will solve both of those by using a burnt sienna glaze over them to try to get to the color match. Think I will however put in the background now, of which I am still stumped on, because that will reflect in some of the colors of the main focus.  Thinking right now that it will start off the dark of an op

Ok, I will admit it, I get frustrated being the good girl.  Yes, I persevered doing the still life and just needed to let loose.  So I finished this horse and it was just the right thing.  For me this is pretty loose and sketchy, but who cares.  I really like all the dusty atmosphere going on with this picture and appreciate Janina Suuronen's fabulous shot.  The color and shadows reminded me of the golden hour that painters and photographers look for in the morning and evening.  When the light is just really special. I  pulled out some of my sanded paper, since I purchased a bit of "Wallis"-like paper at Cheap Joes when we were in Boone, NC and thought I'd try to get the feel of it again.  I forgot how much powder it produces.  Also forgot that I needed to go in with hard pastels first and then some of the softer ones.  Also I had issues with the Saral that I used for rough outlines in that the pastel didn't want to cover it. Don't remember having that issu

Ok, think that I have done all the damage I am going to do on this and am going to move on to something else while this sits on my board.  I must say that while I love hydrangeas, I still hate hydrangeas as they are buggers to do. I am going to go back to a horse picture that I was working on with acrylics and try to utilize some of Mark's method and work from dark to light for the portrait part of the picture.  I have to redo the colors too as I think they were off, but am going to test against the monitor and see what I get. Anyway, thanks to all who went through this process with me.  this is an 11"x14" oil on paper.  I am going to continue working with oil as it does give a different result.   Hope you have a super Friday and weekend and thanks much for stopping by.

Oh boy, I wish I could say I understand and am up on all this social media stuff.  But alas not truant yes, it does make my head hurt.  But I have slowly plodded along and am happy to ANNOUNCE I finally have a website - nelviasart.com - so please check it out .   Oh all the choices and all the monthly add ons that you can get hooked for.  All those small $ can really add up to a hefty monthly outlay.  Now all I have to do is figure out what to do with it, how to promote it and then measure to see if it makes any difference. Anyway, here is today's update.  I think I am getting closer on the technique for the flower and tomorrow when it is slightly tacky I'll add more darks and highlights and then call it done.   I am going to have to try one of these using the interactive acrylics to see how they function using the method - just have to blend sooner I think or reopen with water.  IRL I have iridescent reflections on the pot and I sure am at a loss of how to mix that type of

Well first off got to say today was better than yesterday.  It felt more normal to be painting again and I think that I feel a bit refreshed after my break.  Also am watching some videos of John Howard Sanden, who has to be one of the greatest portrait painters of our time, as he tackles copying a Singer Sargent - wow what a way to get inspired.   While his method isn't exactly like Marks, there are similarities that can be blended together.  They are the same though, in that they paint from dark to light. Anyway, got to admit that I am already off track from correctly and absolutely using Mark's oil painting method.  But I do have some steps mixed for the hydrangeas so am trying to get back on track there.  Again looking at the pic vs the ref side-by-side I see things that need to be corrected.  but the good news is that it is coming together.   Also am liking the smushiness of the oil and learning to be patient and not mix/blend (tendency is to do that and tr

Ok, I'll admit I have AWOL for a bit.  Just haven't been able to bring the stuff I was working on to fruition.  I have been studying the course from drawmixpaint.com and it takes me a while to assimilate new things.  There is an excellent oil painting course, by Mark Carder, a terrific realistic portrait painter (he has painted a couple presidential portraits for the National Gallery).  He recommends working from a very limited palette to mix any color, using a color checker and working from life.  Since that meets two of my goals this year, color mixing and life work, I have been trying to view and review all the videos and read the forum on his website to get brave enough to give it a shot.  I had a  hot scheme to work from the photo on the iPad, but they say that the colors won't turn out correctly.   I do have an app that breaks out all the colors used in a photo which I am going to try on another picture. So I gave up and thought I'd try to set up a still